Anyone have a safe upper temperature limit for electric baseboard heaters?
I have never seen one that High I would hope they never get above 120 degrees .
Wonder could this be a 120 volt on 240 volts .
This sounds like trouble to me .
Could the aluminum fins have been removed ?
… Cookie
I could see the fins, Roy. I’ve never seen one this high either. I’m used to seeing 120-130. Two of them were high, one 190, the other 195! How hot do drywall or framing members have to get to burst into flames?
400 to 450 F
http://www.taunton.com/finehomebuilding/how-to/articles/fire-resistant-details.aspx
Houses burn from inside out
At 400°F, curtains, wallpaper and bedding ignite. Wood studs spontaneously combust, or pyrolize, at about 450°F (steel studs melt and deform at only slightly higher temperatures). At that point, single-pane windows blow out from heat and ambient-pressure differences. Flame and heat rush in to meet interior combustion, thoroughly consuming structures. Whole houses can reach temperatures hot enough to weaken and spall concrete foundations. According to Laguna Beach Fire Chief Rich DuBerry, many if not most of the Laguna homes lost to fire burned from inside out.
Extreme heat – with or without direct flame – compromised the envelopes of houses and ignited material inside by entering houses through vents; poorly sealed doors or windows; and cracks in walls, subfloors or attics.
When such heat is present, destruction is a matter of time. The critical question is how much time is there? Any structures exposed to extreme temperatures and flame long enough will burn. For DuBerry Laguna’s lessons are clear: “Keeping the envelope sealed can buy precious time.”